Electric garment

ABSTRACT

An electric garment having heating elements on the inside surface of the garment, the heating elements connecting to a power source outside the garment through a cord so as to generate heat from the elements. The heating elements comprise an electroconductive fabric knitted of a chemical fiber and a metallic fiber coated on the surface of the fabric with an electroconductive agent prepared from a mixture of thermosetting resin, carbon powder and metal powder, the heating element being further covered with a spongelike heat retaining layer having independent bubbles.

United States Patent Yuasa 1 Aug. 7, 1973 [5 1 ELECTRIC GARMENT 3,102.18/1963 Owcrs 219/529 x 2,873,352 21959 F 2i) 2 Inventor: TeruhlsaYllasa, Takatsuki, Japan h i H Assigneez Yuasa B tt y C p y Li it d3,293,405 12/1966 Costanzo t 219/21] Osaka prefficture Japan 7 3,400,2549/l968 Takemori I, 2l9/543 X [22] Filed: Dec. 30, 1971 FOREIGN PATENTSOR APPLICATIONS 1 pp No; 214 498 546,812 7/1942 Great Britain 2l9/2llRelated Application Data Primary ExaminerC L Albritton [63] Cmtlijnuatonof Ser. No. 99,833, Dec. 21, 1970, y Watson CO-le.Grindle & Watson 3. anone [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 57 ABSTRACT Mar. 10, 1970Japan 45 2333? An electric garment having heating elements on the [52] US Cl 219/211 219/527 338/211 side surface of the garment, the heatingelements con- 338/224 338/225 necting to a power source outside thegarment through [51] HOSb 1/00 a cord so as to generate heat from theelements. The [58] Field 527 529 heating elements comprise anelectroconductive fabric 338/21 1 224 308 knitted of a chemical fiberand a metallic fiber coated l28/379 382 2/2 2 1 on the surface of thefabric with an electroconductive 6 agent prepared from a mixture ofthermosetting resin, carbon powder and metal powder, the heating element[56] References Cited being further covered with a spongelike heatretaining UNITED STATES PATENTS layer having independent bubbles.

1,963,554 6/1934, McDill 219/545 X 3 Claims, 4 Drawing FiguresPAIENEDAUE 7 W FIG.|

FIG.3

IN-VENTOR:

A MRNEY ELECTRIC GARMENT This is a continuation of application Ser. No.99,833, filed Dec. 2l, 1970, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a cold protection garment, and moreparticularly to an electric garment for use in protection from cold byincorporating heating elements into a garment and subjecting the heatingelements to generation of heat through electric energy.

The cold protection garment heretofore used in cold districts was of thetype in which cotton flock or rayon flock was stuffed between the outerfabric and regular lining of fur or synthetic fiber and was sewntogether. But the garments of this type are all designed to keep thetemperature of the human body, and have to worn one over another inlayers to prevent the transpiration of body heat in a colder climate,and accordingly they are not free from the disadvantage in that thewearer of such a garment is deprived of his quick and easy actions.Furthermore, it may be easy to keep the body warm, but in the case ofkeeping hands and feet warmv it does not answer the purpose merely towear one garment over another. Consequently, it is all the moreproblematic how to keep those regions warm and the type of garmentsconventionally used has much to be desired as a cold protection garmentin that it cannot prevent the frequentoutbreak of frost-bite in frigiddistricts.

This invention, in view of. the disadvantages of the kind described, hasincorporated heating elements into a garment. p

A primary objectof this invention is to provide an electricgarment,th'at is thin, yet capable of fully protecting a wearer fromcold.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible and functionalelectric garment for cold protection.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a low-priced electricgarment for cold protection.

A detailed description of this invention in one form will be made withreference to'the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, broken in part, of an electric garmentaccording to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation, broken in part, of an embodiment of theinventionin a glove;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation, broken in part, of an embodiment of theinvention in a sock; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional front elevation showing thestructure of a heat ing element used in the invention. i

, Referring now to FIG. 1, a garment-lismade of a synthetic resin fibersuch as polyamide resin or of fur or the like and is a one-piece type.The garment is designed to put on and'off by means of a zip fastener.

This garment is of the construction in which pockets 2 are formedatseveral points in the regular lining and heating elements 3 areinserted in'the pockets 2 or of the construction in which the heatingelements are inserted between the outer fabric and the regular liningand sewn thereto so as to prevent movement therebetween. The heatingelements are each provided adjacent to their side edges with two smallholes 4 and the small holes 4 of other heating elements adjacent to saidheating elements are electrically connected to said small holes 4 bymeans of lead wires 5. Each of the heating elements, as shown in FIG. 4,is made into the clothlike form of .aknitted fabric of a thickness ofabout 0.5 mm alternately knitted of chemical fiber such as vinylchloride and metallic fiber on a knitting machine, and coated on thesurface with an electroconductive agent prepared from a mixture ofthermosetting resin such as epoxy resin and carbon powder and metalpowder such as silver powder, whereby the whole of each heating elementis formed into a platelike form about 1.5 mm in overall thickness. Also,the heating element is covered on the entire surface with a spongelikeheat retaining layer 6 made of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, rubber,etc. as a chief material and having independent bubbles. As the heatretaining layer is excellent in insulating property, the heating elementcan sufficiently obtain a cold protection effect with a small amount ofheating.

As shown in FIG. 1, when four heating elements in all are used on theupper, lower, left and right portions of the garment, the small holes 4formed on each heating element are connected by wires 5 to each other,and the last small holes are connected to a cord 7 which is in turnconnected to a power source. The cord 7 is connected to both poles ofthe power source of a cell, battery or the like. The heating elementsdescribed above are conected in series but they may be connected inparallel. Furthermore in the drawing, the heating elements 3 are shownas being provided at four places, upper, lower, left, and right, on thefront part of the garment, but they may be positioned additionally inthe rear part, i.e., on the back part of the garment. In short, thenumber of the heating elements provided may depend upon the amount ofcurrent to be supplied thereto so as to freely control the heatingtemperature for obtaining optimum temperature.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in which the invention is embodied in a glove,the glove is made of a synthetic resin fiber or leather, and the heatingelement 3 cov ered with a heat retaining layer is mounted on the insideof the glove and lead wires 5 taken out from the I element 3 areconnected through a snap terminal to the power source.

FIG. 3 shows the invention in another form in which it is embodied in asock. The cold protection sock is knitted of a synthetic resin fiber andthe heating element 3 covered with the heat retaining layer is mountedon the inside bottom of the sock and is connected through the cord 7 tothe power source.

This heating element is designed to depend-upon a cell'for its portablepower source. Namely, when the cell is used, the heating element isenabled to be heated to temperatures in the range of 40 to 60C, whichprovides an optimum temperature while walking or working out of doors.Also, when riding ona motor cycle or the like, the use. of a 12voltbattery mounted on the motor cycle as a power source could make theheating elements produce temperatures in the range of to C at the powerconsumption of 28.9 W and thus could sufficiently protect the rider fromeven temperatures below zero in the open air.

Since the invention .can dispense with bulkiness as a garment forprotection from a cold climate, it has a characteristic feature in thatwork efficiency can be raised by wearing the garment in the districtswhere it is extremly cold. Also, the use of socks can not only protectthe workman from cold-bite but also, when used in bed, sleeping with thesocks on can provide a simple method of keeping warmth. Also, theheating element is readily flexible and free from breaking, andtherefore very easy of handling. It should be undera coating on thesurface of said fabric, said coating being an electroconductive agentprepared from a mixture of thermosetting resin, carbon powder and metalpowder, said heating elements being further covered with a spongelikeheat retaining layer having independent bubbles.

2. An electric garment according to claim 1 characterized by glovesbeing used as the garment.

3. An electric garment according to claim 1 characterized by socks beingused as the garment.

2. An electric garment according to claim 1 characterized by gloves being used as the garment.
 3. An electric garment according to claim 1 characterized by socks being used as the garment. 